Portlight assemblies for marine vessels and other vehicular bodies are well known in the art and are available from numerous sources. Such port assemblies typically include an aluminum or plastic frame, a transparent window of either glass or polycarbonate and an inner mounting structure through which screws are inserted, which then pass through the hull and are threaded into the outer frame.
One difficulty associated with conventional portlight assemblies has been the common requirement of at least two workers to install each unit. Conventionally, one worker inserted the frame, along with its gasketing and sealing material, through an opening in the side of the hull or cabin of the vessel, and then a second worker on the inside of the vessel inserted a retaining structure over the portion of the frame extending through the vessel wall and inserted and tightened screws through the inner ring into the outer frame. This requirement for the use of two persons to assemble each portlight onto the vessel has substantially increased both assembly time and, most notably, the expense of requiring two workers for each installation. Substantial savings could be realized if such a portlight assembly were structured to permit its installation by a single worker.